| Meloe laevis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Meloidae |
| Genus: | Meloe |
| Species: | M. laevis |
| Binomial name | |
| Meloe laevis Leach, 1815 | |
Meloe laevis, the oil beetle, is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in the Caribbean, Central America, and North America. [1] [2] [3]
Blister beetles are beetles of the family Meloidae, so called for their defensive secretion of a blistering agent, cantharidin. About 7,500 species are known worldwide. Many are conspicuous and some are aposematically colored, announcing their toxicity to would-be predators.
The blister beetle genus Meloe is a large, widespread group commonly referred to as oil beetles. They are known as "oil beetles" because they release oily droplets of hemolymph from their joints when disturbed; this contains cantharidin, a poisonous chemical causing blistering of the skin and painful swelling. Members of this genus are typically flightless, without functional wings, and shortened elytra.
The short-winged blister beetle, or oil beetle is a species of blister beetle, native to North America. They average 8–10 millimetres (0.3–0.4 in) in length.
Meloinae is a subfamily of beetles in the family Meloidae. There are at least 330 described species in Meloinae.
Meloe carbonaceus is a species of blister beetles in the family Meloidae. It is found in North America.
Meloe impressus is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in North America.
Meloe ajax is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in North America.
Meloe dianella is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in North America.
Meloe americanus, the buttercup oil beetle, is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in North America.
Meloe barbarus is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in North America.
Meloe campanicollis is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in North America.
Meloe occultus is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in North America.
Meloe niger, the black meloe, is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in North America.
Meloe dugesi is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in Central America and North America.
Meloe franciscanus is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in the deserts of the southwestern United States. The larvae are parasites of bee larvae, eating them and consuming their provisions.
Meloe bitoricollis is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in North America.
Oreodytes laevis is a species of predaceous diving beetle in the family Dytiscidae. It is found in North America.
Aglyptinus laevis is a species of round fungus beetle in the family Leiodidae. It is found in North America.
Linsleya sphaericollis, the ash blister beetle, is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in North America.
Meloe strigulosus is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in Central America and North America.
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